Artificial limb.



;I. F. ROWLE'Y.

ARTIFICIAL LIME; APPLICATION mso :uu1a. |9n.-

"mama Mar. 12,1918.

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nrrnf STAS ARTIFICIAL LIME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

Application filed June 18, 1917. Serial No. 175,385.

To all 1 um it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. ROWLEY, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago. county of Cook, and, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Limbs, of which the following is a specification.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form 'of back check for artificial limbs of the general type shown in my Patent N o. 64%,464, dated February 27. 1900; and to provide an improved form of swingable connection between the back check and Suspender, whereby the back check and Suspender may move relatively to each other during certain movements of the limb or the wearers body, without causing the sus ponder to be shifted on the shoulder of the wearer.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of an artificial limb showing the improved back check and swingable suspender connection.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail in side elevation, showing the different positions which the swingable suspender connection may-assume. I

3 is a back elevation of the upper end of the back check and swingable Suspender connection.

Inthe construction shown in the drawings, the'artificial limb comprises a shin section .I pivotall v connected to a thigh section 2 by aknee-bolt 3.

The back check is mounted on the shin section 1 and comprises a body part 4, a base part 5 adapted to be rigidly attached to the shin section 1 by bolts 6, an upper end 7 adapted to bearagainst the knee-bolt 3, and a forwardly projecting arm 8 on said upper end, the form of back check shown, having the open sided seat and the arm 8 extending at an angle to the body portion of the back check is in eifect a bell crank lever, the. leverage of which maybe slightly altered to exactly suit the user of thedevice by employing ads 11 of different thicknesses. Accordingly the pivotal connection 14.- between arm 8 and link- 12 may be shifted with respect to the pivotal center provided. by the knee-bolt 3.

' The thigh section 2 is provided with a slot 9 at the lower rear side thereof, through which the upper part of the back check ex tends, and the lower end of said slot has a pad or cushion 10 therein against which the back check is adapted to contact, so as to of the back check and the upper end 7 of the back check bears against the knee-bolt 3, thus providing a stop of great strength to prevent further movement. A pad of leather or other suitable material 11 is interposed between the knee-bolt 3 .and the back check. The outer end of the forwardly projecting part 8 of the back check has a link swingably mounted thereon, which comprises a pair of side plates 12 and" 13 pivotally mounted at their lower ends by a pin. 1 1 on the outer end of the forwardly projecting part 8. The upper. ends of the sideplates 12 and 13 have a pin 15' assing therethrough uponwhich is journale. a pair of rollers 16, which coact with the loops 17 of the suspender.

In the operation of they device, the two loops of the artificiallimb Suspender which pass down one on each side of the artificial limb pass through suitable apertures in the thigh section 2- and around the rollers 16. When the thigh section isprojected forwardly to take a step, the swingable link connection between the forwardly projecting part 8 of the back check and the Suspender permits considerable movement between the Suspender and back check without causing the. rollers to run along the cords and thereby slipping the Suspender forwardly I or backwardly on the shoulder of the wearer.

When the thigh section .is lifted forwar'dly, the shin sectionrotates rearwardly on the knee-bolt 3, and the-back check works in the slot 9 of the thigh section 2. When the sections are again straightened through the action of the Suspender as described in my said patent, and pressure is brought to bear on the artificial limb as in taking a step forward thereon, the back check contacts with the pad or cushion 10 and limits the pivotal movement. When the pad 10 contacts with the back check, the upper end 7 bears against the knee-bolt 3 and serves as a support therefor, thus avoiding undue strain on the bolts at the base part.

,Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and ziescribed, it will be understood that numercus details of theconstruction shown. may be aitei'ed or omitted Without departing from the spirit of this invention as defineci by the .fclicwing claims.

I claim:

1. In an. artificial limb, the combination of leg and thigh sections pivotally connected at the knee, an operating member fixed to the leg section and extending upwardly into the thigh section to a point located in front of said pivotal connection, said operating member bearing at one side only against said pivotal CORRECT/10H, and a link swmgabiy eeann mounted on saifl operating member and adapted to enact with a Suspender.

2. In an artificial limb, the combination of leg and. thigh sections pivotaliy connected by a knee-b0lt, a back check secured to the leg section and extending upwardly into the thigh section in front of said knee bolt and 

